The effect of hydralazine on arachidonic acid metabolism in isolated, washed human platelets.

The effects of hydralazine on arachidonic acid metabolism were studied in isolated washed human platelets. The washed platelets (10(9)/ml) were exposed to 14C-arachidonic acid and incubated for 15 minutes in a platelet aggregometer (37 degrees C). The media was then extracted and the reaction products separated by means of reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography. In this system, hydralazine inhibited the production of TXB2 (the stable metabolite of TXA2) and enhanced the production of PGF2 alpha and PGE2 in a dose dependent fashion. Indomethacin, blocked the production of all prostaglandin compounds normally synthesized by platelets. These results suggest that hydralazine is a specific thromboxane synthetase inhibitor and that its vasodilatory effects might be related to its ability to block the production of an endogenous vasoconstrictor (i.e. TXA2).